Thera 2.25: Vitasoka
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(145):Vitasoka Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter II. Two Verses =145. Vitasoka= Reborn in this Buddha-age, in the two hundred and eighteenth year of that, as the younger brother of King Dhammasoka, he was named Vitasoka.1 Come of age, he acquired the accomplishments befitting noble youths, and then as a lay-pupil of Thera Giridatta became highly proficient in the Sutta- and Abhidhamma-Piṭakas. Now one day when his hair was being dressed, he took the mirror from the barber's hand, and meditating on his body, saw some grey hairs. In urgency he sent down insight into his mind, and exerting himself to meditate, he became, as he there sat, a Stream-winner(Sotapana/first samadhi of Nirvana). Taking Monk’s orders under Giridatta, he not long after won arahantship(enlightenment). Upon that he thus declared aññā(supreme attainment): ---- 169 Kese me salikhissa'nti kappako upasaŋkami,|| Tato adāsamādāya sarīraɱ paccavekkhisaɱ.|| || 170 Tuccho 23 kāyo adissittha andhakāro1 tamo vyagā,|| Sabbecāḷā smaiucchinnā natthi dāni punabbhavo' ti.|| || ---- 169 'Now let him shave me!' - so the barber came. From him I took the mirror and, in that Reflected, on myself I gazed arid thought: 170 'Futile for lasting is this body shown.' thinking on the source that blinds our sight My spirit's darkness melted into light. Stripped are the swathing vestments utterly!2 Now is there no more coming back to be? ---- 1 According to the Commentary, Vitasoka (one who has ended grief) is none other than the younger brother of Emperor Asoka, whose career forms an episode in the Divyāvadāna (translated by Buraouf in Buddhisme Indien, 1844), in which Vitasoka is impelled to leave the world(for monkhood) through the arahant(enlightened) Yasa. Neither Giridatta nor the barber episode is referred to, which shows how different was the tradition handed on by Dhammapāla. The grey hair episode is a very old tale, told in Majjh., ii. 83; Jāt., i., No. 9. Napery. (2). Personal linen. Linen: cloth woven from flax. > Napkin. 2 The barber was also bathman and head-dresser; hence coḷā (vestments), which means any napery, may be an allusion to the muslin folds of the turban, or to bath robes and towels, or to dress. The Commentary only expands the altered scale of values in the prince's life. Pacchavekkisaɱ has the double sense of our 'reflected.' ---- =2.3-5 145 Commentary on the stanza of Vītasokatthera= The stanza starting with kese me olikhissanti constitutes that of the venerable Thera Vītasoka. What is the origin? This one also, having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating meritorius deeds in this and that existence, was reborn in a brahmin family, at the time of the Blessed One Siddhattha, and reached perfection in the arts and sciences of the brahmins: having given up sensual pleasures, he renounced the world, became a recluse-ascetic and was dwelling in the forest surrounded by a big crowd of ascetics, when he heard of the appearance of Buddha; he became glad and joyful and said to himself: “Buddhas, the Glorius Ones are similar to fig flowers, difficult to gain for their sight; they should be approached but now:” on his way to see the Master, together with a large retinue (parisā), there remained one and a half leagues (yojana) to reach, when he fell ill (byādhito) and died with his perception in relation to Buddha (Buddhagatāya saññāya); he sprang up among divine beings, and wandering about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings now and then, was reborn as the youngest brother of king Dhammāsoka, on the expiry (matthake) of two hundred and eighteen years after the appearance of this Buddha (imasmiṃ Buddhuppāde). His name was Vītasoka. On having come of age, he reached perfection in arts and sciences which should be studied by warriorprinces (khattiyakumāra); as a layman he became confidently wise (visārado) in the suttanta and abhidhamma piṭakas because of his dependence on the Thera Giridatta: one day on the occasion of his shaving his beard (massukamma), he caught hold of a mirror from the hands of his hair-dresser (kappaka) and as he looked at (the reflection of) his body, he found his wrinkled (skin) and grey (hair), became remorseful, had his mind inclined towards the development of spiritual insight (vipassanā), roused his eagerness in doing the developing (bhāvanaṃ), became a strean-winner (sotāpanna) in that very seat of his, became a monk in the presence of the Thera Giridatta and attained Arahantship but before long. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna:– “I was a reciter and bearer of charms (mantadharo), proficient in the three vedas, as well as in palmistry (lakkhaṇe) and traditional lore (itihāsa) together with nighaṇḍu, along with keṭubha. With the resemblance of a running stream of river, pupils then came to me. I taught charms (mante) to them without being bored day and night. There and then the self-awakened Buddha, named Siddattha, arose in the world; having had blinding darkness dispelled, He had the light of knowledge sheded. There was a certain pupil of mine; he it was of my pupils spoke; having heard of this matter (atthaṃ), they then in- formed (of it). ‘The omniscient Buddha, the leader of the world had well arisen; the multitude of men followed Him; gain to us (amhaṃ) does not exist’. ‘Buddhas are of spontaneous origin (adhiccuppattika); they are possessors of eye-sight and fully famous. What if I were to see Buddha, the best, the leader of the world.’ Having caught hold of my antelope’s skin, reed reiment and water pot (kamaṇḍalu), I came out of my hermitage and addressed my pupils. Similar to the fig flower, like unto the hare in the moon, and according as the milk of the crows, difficult to get is the leader of the world. Buddha has arisen in the world; humanhood also is difficult to get; when both are currently existing, extremely difficult It is, to get the opportunity of listening (to the teaching) also. Buddha has well arisen in the world; we shall gain the eye of existence; come all, let us go to the presence of the well self-awakened Buddha. All the bearers of water pot (kamaṇḍalu) wearers of rough antelope’s skin, those bearers of the burden of braided hair came out of the forest, then. To the extent of a yoke they looked ahead, they were seekers of the most excellent benefit; detached and devoid of hatred (dosa), they were free from fear like the lion. Meagre was their business (kicca), no greed they had (aloluppa); they were mature with calm conduct (santavutti), wandering about for gleanings of alms food (uñcha), they were on their way to Buddha, the best. When there remained one and a half leagues (yojana), ailment arose in me; having remembered Buddha the best, I died there. It was ninetyfour aeons (kappa) ago that I then gained the perception; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of my perception of Buddha. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having, however, attained Arahantship, he spoke two stanzas revealing his Arahantship (aññā). 169. “I shall shave off my hair’; thus, the hair-dresser approached (me). Thereafter I caught hold of the mirror and examined (paccavekkhisaṃ) my body. 170. “I found my body to be enpty; in blinding darkness it went dark; all my rags (coḷā) had been well cut asunder; there does not exist now any new existence. There, kese me olikhissaṃ’ti, kappako upasaṅkami means: at the time I was a layman, on the occasion of beard-shaving business, the barber, the bather (nhāpito) so called because of his trimming (kappana) by way of such doings as cutting (chedana) etc. of such things as hair and so on approached me saying: “I am doing the deed of shaving off your hair.” Tato cannotes from the hair-dresser. Sarīraṃ paccavekkhisaṃ means: I reflected on my won body, which had become overhelmed with old age saying; “My body has indeed, been overwhelmed by old age,” with the face (mukhena) of seeing such signs (nimitta) as white (hair) and wrinkled face in the all-bodied (sabbakāyika) mirror (ādāsa). Tuccho kāyo adissattha means: my body was seen to have appeared as having become devoid of such qualities as permanence, stability and happy nature, etc. Why? Andhakāre tamo byagā means: because of such a darkness (tamasā) reckoned as unwise-mindedness (ayonisomanasikārena) they had gone blind over their own body and not perceiving such a natural condition as unpleasant (asubha) etc., though subsisting (vijjamānampi), take such a characteristic (ākāraṃ) as pleasant (subha) etc. which does not exist; in that blinding darkness, the region where blindness is made on the body (kāye), the darkness of ignorance had disappeared due to the light of knowledge reckoned as wise-mindedness (yonisomanasikāra); consequent upon that, even, sabbe coḷā samucchinnā means: forms of depravity (kilesa) had been well cut off, the depravity which had gained the name “Coḷa (raga),” which is similar either to a piece of rag discarded on dusty rubbish heaps and so on, as it should not be attached to (alātabba) nor ought to be clung to by good people, or to a rag because of its state of being despised by reigning rulers and noble personages (ariyajana); to them n’atthi dāni punabbhavo, means: in future there does not exist any specially new rebirths. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Vitasoka is complete. ----